บท 12: Chapter 12: The Mentor’s Guidance

The question of why there are so many wars is actually easy to answer, at least for Yuhara. For him, this question isn't difficult, but for the people of this world, it might not be so simple. Having lived through the end of the Third Shinobi World War, he knew how naive and laughable contemporary ninjas' understanding of war was.

To 90% of ninjas, war is primarily caused by hatred. Various forms of hatred lead to the outbreak of war. Even someone like Jiraiya understood it this way. This common belief led to an absurd notion—that mutual understanding and communication between people could eliminate hatred and even war.

This idea is partially correct; mutual understanding can indeed eliminate hatred. However, the error lies in the belief that it can eliminate war. Wars are never merely the product of hatred. While hatred can be a factor, it is never the main driving force.

"War is a heavy topic, Shisui." The current environment cast a somber tone over Yuhara's voice. He stared into the flames and asked, "In your view, what is the root of war? Why do wars happen?"

"I...," Shisui hesitated. He actually wanted to hear Yuhara's interpretation, believing Yuhara had a broader perspective. Shisui had begun to doubt his own views and judgments. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke up. "Probably, like everyone says, it's because of hatred. The continuation of hatred leads to..."

"That's where you're wrong. Your perspective is too narrow." Yuhara interrupted, turning to Shisui with a serious look. He sighed before continuing, "You and everyone else oversimplify things. I can tell you clearly, wars never start because of hatred."

"Not because of hatred?" Shisui was taken aback by Yuhara's absolute statement. Such words shattered long-held beliefs about the shinobi world.

"Yes, never because of hatred. Hatred is just an excuse," Yuhara confirmed. "Real wars are a continuation of politics by other means."

"Politics... continuation..." Shisui muttered, trying to grasp the meaning behind these words.

"That's right. Wars arise under specific political conditions and are triggered by political motives," Yuhara explained. "In simple terms, war is just another part of political interaction, not something independent. Personal conflicts might involve hatred, but when it comes to wars between nations or ninja villages, hatred is never the true cause. Wars happen because the leaders of these villages pursue their interests, sometimes in extreme ways."

"Let me ask you, since the founding of Konoha, we've had three major wars. We may not be familiar with the first two, but we both experienced the Third Shinobi World War. Do you remember how it started?" Yuhara asked, shifting the focus back to Shisui.

Shisui thought carefully. If it had been before, he might have said it was because of hatred. But now, he followed Yuhara's line of thinking, considering deeper factors like politics and interests. After a moment, he tentatively replied, "Was it due to their own development issues?"

"Exactly, their own development issues are a key factor," Yuhara nodded, pleased with Shisui's progress. He knew that broadening Shisui's perspective would make him an invaluable ally and a powerful force in the future.

"The Land of Wind is mostly desert, with insufficient water and farmland, severely limiting their development. They can't even be self-sufficient and rely heavily on imported food, draining their already limited funds. They need fertile land to break this limitation."

"So, to overcome this limitation, they aimed to expand into the Land of Rivers, which led them to attack us, right?" Shisui quickly grasped Yuhara's point. He realized this must be the true cause behind the war.

Compared to the interests of the village, hatred seemed insignificant. For a leader, the choice was clear. Understanding this, Shisui's respect for Yuhara grew even stronger. In just a few days, Yuhara had continuously shattered his beliefs, providing him with a clearer, higher perspective on the world.

"Exactly. Wars aren't what they seem to us. Often, what we see is just what others want us to see," Yuhara said with a smile, patting Shisui's shoulder. "Always think things through and look beyond appearances to understand the true nature of things. Only by understanding the essence can you grasp the real world."

For Yuhara, these were basic principles learned from his past life's education. But for Shisui, this was profound guidance. It made him feel ashamed of his previous naivety. He had always considered himself smart, but now he saw how much he lacked compared to Yuhara. He hadn't even understood the true nature of the conflicts within his clan or the village.

Without Yuhara's reminders, he would have continued down a path of confusion. Realizing this, Shisui's admiration for Yuhara deepened, and he looked at him with newfound respect and eagerness.

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